Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to mounts for still cameras and video camera recorders. More particularly, the present invention relates to a camera mount for use in the outdoors.
2. Description of Related Art
Still cameras, and most recently video camera recorders, have facilitated the recording and display of flora, fauna, and participants in outdoors recreational activities. During the recording of these images, cameras have been mounted to various devices. These devices include stationary styled mounts with angular adjustment and adjustable arm styled mounts with pan able rotation. The ability to position a camera stationary at various angles, as well as, rotate while recording affords the recorder opportunities to record images from various views.
Various devices have been utilized for mounting a camera to photograph flora, fauna, and participants in outdoors-recreational activities. One example is the stationary-telescoping tripod styled mount. These mounts generally have three adjustable length legs for support and a camera support capable of rotating or being fixed at a variety of angles. While these mounts function to support a camera for photographing various views while the photographer is sitting or standing firmly upon the ground, there are drawbacks to their use. This type of mount is not easily useable upon a tree stand platform or extremely uneven ground and generally has no means of being fastened to the object it sits upon.
Another such example is the telescoping tubular styled mounts. While these mounts function to support a camera for photographing various views while sitting or standing upon a tree stand platform, there are drawbacks to their use. Most of these mounts are designed for static attachment to a tree stand platform. They have a telescoping tube attaching a rotating camera support to a base that is bolted to the object on which it sits. This last feature can become a hindrance as the photographer on a tree stand platform has a limited area upon which to sit or stand and these mounts can be difficult to relocate. They are not generally for use in a ground level situation and have no other means of attachment to an object.
Another such example is the adjustable arm styled mount. These mounts are designed to be statically affixed to an object while allowing the photographer to easily relocate the position of the camera by adjustment of the arm. They do not require an alternative attachment means. While these mounts function to support a camera for photographing various views, there are drawbacks to their use. This style of mount is relatively complicated to use in comparison with the mounts in the previous examples.
While the different styles of mounts in the previous examples function to support a camera for photographing various views, they have some common drawbacks. These mounts are bulky in size by nature. This may present problems resulting in breakage during transportation in the outdoors. By being bulky in size, they each also have a defined weight that is to be considered when traveling greater distances in the outdoors.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved camera mount and clamping mechanism, which is lightweight, compact, and easy to relocate.
The present invention meets the needs in the art by providing an improved camera mount and clamping mechanism for supporting a camera in the outdoors for the recording and display of flora, fauna, and participants in outdoors-recreational activities.
The present invention has a rotational ability built into the camera mount""s support plate comprising a semi-spherical projection having parallel concave and convex surfaces at it""s underside. The support plate""s semi-spherical projection further defines a large radius hole for a threaded fastener with a hexagonal head to extend through that allows clearance around the threaded fastener. This clearance defines the maximum angle of rotation attainable during use of the camera mount. A semi-spherical pivot with a centrally located hole for a threaded fastener to extend through and has a convex surface that is cooperatively mated to the concave surface of the semi-spherical projection.
An upper clamping plate defining a cylindrical pivot seat having a concave surface and a hole for a threaded fastener to extend through is cooperatively mated to the convex surface of the semi-spherical projection. A threaded fastener extends through the aforementioned parts of the invention and with the semi-spherical surfaces of the pivot and pivot seat and being coaxially static to the fastener allow the support plate to rotate upon the support plate""s semi-spherical projection.
The present invention also provides an improved clamping mechanism whereby the camera mount can be disposed upon various objects allowing greater flexibility of use. The clamping mechanism has an upper clamping plate and a lower clamping plate. The upper clamping plate defining a planar surface with a perpendicular lip, and the planer surface bears on the surface of the desired object the camera mount is to be disposed upon. The lower clamping plate defining two horizontally parallel planar surfaces, above a centrally located horizontal plane, with two opposing surfaces perpendicular to and between the two horizontally parallel planar surfaces further defining a notch which forms the first bearing surface defined by the lower clamping plate.
The upper clamping plate""s bearing planar surface and lower clamping plate""s bearing planar surface each further define a V-shaped groove across their face, that are coaxially aligned, comprising additional surfaces to bear upon the desired object.
The lower clamping plate also defines a horizontal planar surface below the centrally located horizontal plane which contains a radial groove across it""s face that when the lower clamping plate is inverted, is coaxially aligned with the upper clamping plate""s V-shaped groove, comprising additional surfaces to bear upon the desired object.
The present invention also provides ease of relocation by further comprising a compressive tension adjustment knob that has coaxially aligned threads that cooperatively mate with the threads of the threaded fastener. With the fastener extending through the pivot, support plate, upper clamping plate, lower clamping plate, and threaded knob, all parts of the camera support and clamping mechanism comprise the camera mount and are able to be easily disposed upon or removed from the desired object by tightening or loosening the compressive tension adjustment knob and increasing or relieving the compressive tension of the clamping mechanism.
The present invention is compact and by being so is also lightweight providing ease of transportation.
Upon reading the claims and detailed description of the invention, and upon viewing the drawings, the objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent.